Blue Mountain Health Cooperative

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE PRIMARY METHODS OF REACHING OUR VISION AND CONTINUING OUR MISSION:
We intend to obtain these objectives through:

1. Providing education, support and referral resources to providers and to clients

2. Sparking innovative approaches to care through collaborative networking

3. Developing tomorrow’s providers today through training, coaching, and mentoring

4. Promoting sustainable provider practices through conscientious use of resources.

5. Improve access to care for the community through administration of direct therapeutic services at BMHC.

6. Conducting research, program-development, and program-evaluation to improve solutions to challenges encountered by local families, neighborhoods, and communities.

WE WILL SCREEN CLIENTS. Our hope is we can be notified when that appointment has been made, and we can go meet that person there. Or call them and ask if they know where to go … So they know someone is invested.” The women said there is an expectation that by giving social work students, and perhaps psychology students in the near future, practical experience here, more will choose to stay and work in the area.
WE WILL OPEN FREE CLINICS FOR ADOLESCENTS. The first was extremely successful nd are now available in a regular basis.
WE WILL PROVIDE FOR SIGNIFICANLY SOCIAL WORK INTERN PLACEMENT FROM AREA COLLEGES. When COVID-19 hit the world, local placements for student practicums dropped by 20%, and where those still existed, the coronavirus limited what students could do by about 25%.
WE WILL RAISE COMMUNITY, REGIONAL, STATE AND NATIONAL FUNDS. The group is working on funding by accepting donations, applying for local grants and becoming eligible to accept Medicaid. The hope is with enough of a financial cushion, the co-op can offer sliding-scale billing, based on the client’s ability to pay, not just income.
WE WILL GROW AND ULTIMATELY PROVIDE MORE FLEXIBLE AND BROAD HOURS. Plans call for the co-op to be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, and more often in the future. The anticipated case load will be five clients per day per student.

Blue Mountain Health Cooperative is only as strong and viable as the connections we are able to make with other providers and resources in the area. ACTIVE PARTNERS INCLUDE:

Walla Walla University, Wilma Hepker School of Social Work and Sociology
WWU has provided many of BMHC's student clinicians and behavioral health navigators. They also have provided clinical supervision for the ongoing growth and success of our students which in turn provides improved care for our community.

Walla Walla Community College
WWCC has provided BMHC with behavioral health navigators as well as training curriculum for patient navigation that has been integrated to assist with care coordination for BMHC clients. The WWCC contribution has helped lay a foundation for our navigators to be well prepared to serve the need in our community.

ArtWalla has partnered with BMHC to provide all of the beautiful artwork in the clinic. All pieces are set to be rotated out biannually in order to allow local artists to showcase their work as well as to help create a soothing environment for BMHC clients and staff.

ArtWalla also provides First Aid Art Kits, which was a response to COVID-19 developed by ArtWalla's Augusta Sparks Farnum in partnership with Providence St. Marys to provide art kits to people who could benefit from art supplies while coping with the mental and emotional challenges brought on by COVID-19.

PESI
BMHC and PESI have created a partnership which will bring access to their high quality, evidence-based training and CEU opportunities to our area through video and streaming on BMHC's website. This partnership will allow for increased dissemination of knowledge and enhancement of skills for our local providers while offsetting the costs for all who utilize these training opportunities.

GRANTS AND DONATIONS ARE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO OPEN AND SUSTAIN BMHC WITH SUFFICIENT OPERATING BACK UP, PLEDGES, AND ACTIVIE GRANT APPLICATIONS.

COMPETENT STAFFING WILL SUPPORT THE HIGH GOALS AND QUALITY OF BMHC:

Alayna Brinton, LSWAIC, Executive Director, and Melissa Melissa Adams, LSWAIC, the Providence St. Mary's population health social worker are deeply concerned about the behavioral health of their neighbors, and coordination of care among area providers, by creating integrated care systems, and a support network for both the provider community and behavioral health clients. Deisy Haid, LCSW from the Walla Walla University School of Social Work was next to join the team, adding to the dream by bringing her wealth of knowledge as well as the resources of the students of Walla Walla University.

ESTABLISHED 501c3
PROCURED IRS EXEMPTION
RAISED SIGNIFICANT FUNDS
RENTED (IN-KIND) AND FURNISHED A CENTER
GENERATED COMMUNIITY INTEREST AND SUPPORT
RECEIVE COVERAGE BY LOCAL NEWS
OPENED FIRST FREE WALK-IN CLINIC
DEVELOPED MOUs WITH MOST LOCAL PROVIDERS
BECAME A WORK FORCE TRAINING CENTER
ESTABLISHED MYRIAD PARTNERSHIPS
SUBMITTED 6 GRANT APPLICATIONS WITH MORE IN THE "QUEUE"